Anointing in Paul: 2 Corinthians 1.21-22 and 2.14-16.

[robert j]

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To put the question another way: are you saying only that the Kunigunde's (and my) argument is ineffective in establishing that XS (actually XN) abbreviates Christos here, or are you making the stronger claim that it is unlikely XS does abbreviate Christos, and it more likely abbreviates something else, such as Chrestos specifically?

Now the One establishing us with you unto XN, and having anointed (χρίσας) us, is God … (2 Corinthians 1:21)

I think that Paul, Timothy, and Silvanus claiming to be anointed by God, in effect all claiming to be “Christs”, significantly reduces the likelihood that Paul’s Jesus was seen as a ‘Christ”. In what would otherwise seem like a special title or name --- a “Christ” --- becomes rather mundane. How about Titus and Epaphroditus, were they also anointed, also “Christs”? Where does one draw the line?

Absent compelling evidence for "Christos" in Paul's letters, "Chrestos" would be the likely alternative for the nomina sacra XS in Paul’s letters.

[Ken Olson]

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Ken, A couple of weeks before you posted this, KK responded to my question about evidence in Paul's letters for the Jesus figure to be a "Christ". KK admitted that "There may not be clear evidence", but suggested the very same two passages that you have here. I followed-up and described why I don't think that either of those passages provides effective evidence for the Jesus in Paul's letters to have been named as a "Christ".

I think there is some evidence in 2 Corinthians that Paul used the word Christ to describe [Jesus] and that the nomen sacrum Chi-Sigma overline (with different endings according to case) was used to abbreviate Christ.

2 Corinthians 1.21-22:

1.21 But it is God who establishes us with you in [Christ], and has anointed us; 22 he has put his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

In this case, Paul is using the metaphor of anointing to refer to the reception of the Holy Spirit through Baptism. Why that metaphor? Because he has just referred to [Christ] the anointed one (and in v. 19 preceding as well). It might be necessary to go outside of Paul to interpret this - Jesus receives the Holy Spirit in the John the Baptist narratives in all four gospels, though he is not said to have been baptized by John in Luke or John.

2 Corinthians 2.14-15

2.14 But thanks be to God, who in [Christ] always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of [Christ] to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life

Paul is using the metaphors of fragrance and aroma to describe the spread of the Christian message. The reason for this particular metaphor is that [Christ] is aromatic because the word means Anointed One and anointing oil is aromatic. ...

[Kunigunde's argument snipped]

Here is my response to KK"s suggestions, freed of the "quote" box ---

It was 2 Corinthians 1:21 that contributed to my doubts about Paul’s JC figure as a “Christ”, as an “anointed” figure. Take a look at the wider passage ...

It was 2 Corinthians 1:21 that contributed to my doubts about Paul’s JC figure as a “Christ”, as an “anointed” figure. Take a look at the wider passage (Berean Literal Bible) ---

19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, having been proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has always been “Yes” in Him. 20For as many as are the promises of God, in Him is the “Yes.” Therefore also in Him, the “Amen” by us is for glory to God. 21Now the One establishing us with you unto Christ, and having anointed us, is God, 22the One also having sealed us and having given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:19-22)

So, in this translation, we have 4 anointed figures – Jesus Christ, Paul Christ, Timothy Christ, and Silvanus Christ.

Kings, priests, and prophets were commonly anointed in the Jewish scriptures. Certainly Paul could have seen himself and his junior-partners as prophets, and having been anointed in that sense.

Paul did sometimes personalize his own experience with that of his JC in a figurative sense (“I have been crucified with Christ”, Gal, 2:20). But for Paul to claim the title, and the mantle of the “Christ”, not only for himself but also for Silvanus and Timothy --- wouldn’t that very significantly downgrade the title and the exceptional nature of Paul’s savior figure?

For 2 Corinthians 2:14, I think tying together the concept of a sweet smell with having been anointed with oil in that verse is too much of a stretch based on the way Paul used the concept of a sweet smell for money ---

But I have all things, and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things from you, an odor of a sweet smell (εὐωδίας), an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. (Philippians 4:18)

robert j,

Thanks for the clarification. I think your response to Kunigunde is a weak objection to what I was arguing and takes no account of either of these points in my post:

(1) Paul is using the metaphor of anointing to refer to the reception of the Holy Spirit through Baptism.

or

(2) Aroma is used by Paul as a metaphor (or perhaps metonymy) for something that is described as aromatic in the LXX. Regardless of how we classify the particular figure of speech Paul used, it is clearly non-literal language. He does not mean that he and Silvanus and Timothy smell good.

On point (1), you note Gal. 2.20, but not the larger context:

2.19 For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul was not literally crucified and had not literally died. This is the language of participation in Christ through baptism. I've discussed this on this forum several times before; the first time in a reply to you IIRC.

When Paul refers to himself, Silvanus and Timothy as having been anointed by God, I take him to be referring to having received the Holy Spirit (or Spirit of Christ, he uses the terms interchangeably as far as I can tell) through Baptism. Paul is referring to himself as having been anointed because he has Christ (the anointed one) living in him. And so did Silvanus and Timothy and every other baptized Christian.

Paul discusses this in Romans 6:

3 Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Much of Paul's argument in 1 Cor. 6 depends on the understanding that the baptized members of the church have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in their bodies:

13 The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Paul is telling the Corinthians that their members (bodily parts) are Christ's members because Christ dwells in you. One who has the Lord becomes one spirit with him. If you have a sex with a prostitute you are sticking Jesus's member in her. Your body is a temple because the Holy Spirit dwells in it as God's spirit inhabits the temple in Jerusalem.

The benefit of dying and rising with Christ in baptism and having the spirit of Christ living in you is that you will be saved on judgment day. This is what Paul means in 2 Cor. 2.22 when he says God has 'given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee'. He is telling the Corinthians that the Spirit of God or Holy Spirit or Spirit of Christ dwelling in us is our guarantee that we will be saved on judgement day.

So, no, it does not 'downgrade the title and the exceptional nature of Paul’s savior figure' when he refers to himself and Silvanus and Timothy as anointed, because the fact that they have been anointed (baptized) with the Spirit of Christ is the very mechanism by which the savior saves them.

To return to 2 Cor. 2.14-16:

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

Paul is saying that he and his co-workers brought the aroma of Christ to Corinth and elsewhere - 'We received the Spirit of Christ and we spread it everywhere' (including most particularly Corinth, of course).

Relevant to point (2), you wrote:

For 2 Corinthians 2:14, I think tying together the concept of a sweet smell with having been anointed with oil in that verse is too much of a stretch based on the way Paul used the concept of a sweet smell for money ---

But I have all things, and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things from you, an odor of a sweet smell (εὐωδίας), an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. (Philippians 4:18)

You seem to be arguing that since Paul uses the figure (metaphor? metonymy?) of aroma for money, he would not also use it for anointing oil. I think your logic is a bit off. He is using figures from the Septuagint in both cases.

Money does not literally have a sweet smell. When Paul says the money is an 'acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God' he is describing it with the the language the Septuagint uses to describe the burnt offering. This can be found in Levitius 1.17: "it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord' and a few dozen other places in the LXX.

So the fact that Paul uses a Septuagintal metaphor of one sort doesn't make it less likely that he uses a different Septuagintal metaphor elsewhere. It makes it more likely.

Best,

Ken

[robert j]

Ken, Thanks for your prompt and thoughtful reply. I will get back to you on all this, but it may be a few days before I will be able to give your response the attention it deserves.

[robert j]

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Ken,

Based on your comments, and on my own further study, I’ve changed my position on one of the passages in question, and further developed my position on the other. Replacing my previous sub-par response(s), here is my current understanding of the verses ---

That Sweet Smell

... When Paul says the money is an 'acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God' he is describing it with the the language the Septuagint uses to describe the burnt offering. This can be found in Levitius 1.17: "it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord' and a few dozen other places in the LXX.

Yes. I agree. But the focus in this context is on sacrifices and seeking atonement, not anointing.

Leviticus 1 contains the words of the Lord spoken to Moses about gifts, whole-bunt offerings, and other sacrifices to the Lord placed upon the altar. The chapter concludes with this ---

… It is a yield offering, sacrifice scent of pleasant aroma to the Lord (κάρπωμά εστι θυσία οσμή ευωδίας τω κυρίω). (Leviticus 1:17, LXX)

As you mentioned, with minor variations, there are about two dozen instances in the Jewish scriptures of that phrase in Leviticus 1:17 (Leviticus, Exodus and Numbers -- LXX) --- all similarly focused on sacrifices offered to the Lord. Paul was likely so familiar with that phrase that he could easily paraphrase the concept to fit his own needs as he apparently did in Philippians.

But I have all things, and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things from you --- an odor of a sweet smell, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God (--- ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, θυσίαν δεκτήν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ). (Philippians 4:18)

Paul characterized the money provided by the Philippians as a fragrant sacrifice to God, using the same concept and terms that he borrowed from the scriptures.

To return to 2 Cor. 2.14-16:

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

Paul is saying that he and his co-workers brought the aroma of Christ to Corinth and elsewhere - 'We received the Spirit of Christ and we spread it everywhere' (including most particularly Corinth, of course).

Yes. It was Paul and his junior-partners that brought the sweet smell (εὐωδία) of XU to the Corinthians.

The verse in Philippians is the only other place in his letters that Paul used the term εὐωδία, and it was clearly in the sacrificial context of Leviticus 1:17. The focus in this passage in 2 Corinthians 2:15 is on seeking salvation, and I think Paul used the term εὐωδία here in a similar context as in Leviticus 1:17.

At this point in time, Paul is responding to accusations and at least some amount of rejection ---

But thanks be to God, the One always leading us in triumph in XW, and through us in every place making manifest the odor (ὀσμὴν) of the knowledge of Him. For we are a sweet smell (εὐωδία) of XU to God in those being saved and in those perishing: to one indeed an odor (ὀσμὴ) from death to death, and to the other an odor (ὀσμὴ) from life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God, we speak before God in XW.

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or like some, do we need commendatory letters to you or from you? You are our letter, having been inscribed in our hearts, being known and being read by all men, being revealed that you are a letter of XU, having been ministered to by us … (2 Corinthians 2:14-3:3)

In the context of the several LXX verses like Leviticus 1:17, here Paul has figuratively replaced the sweet smell to God of the burnt-offering sacrifices in the LXX, with his own work of spreading the sweet smell of the knowledge of his salvific XU.

But Paul spread the “the knowledge of Him” to all of the Corinthians, even to those that Paul claimed to be perishing as a result of subsequently rejecting Paul and his teachings. The sweet smell (εὐωδία) of XU received by all was “an odor (ὀσμὴ) from life to life” for “those being saved” --- but became “an odor (ὀσμὴ) from death to death” for those rejecting Paul, “those perishing”.

In the several passages in the LXX as represented by Leviticus 1:17, the term εὐωδία is associated with sacrifices offered to God and seeking atonement through sacrificial acts. In a similar context, the term εὐωδία in this passage in 2 Corinthians is associated with the sacrificial nature of XU, and with those seeking salvation. I see no need or reason here to bring-in the concept of sweet-smelling anointing oils.

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About 2 Corinthians 1:21 ---

... I think your response ... to what I was arguing and takes no account of ...

(1) Paul is using the metaphor of anointing to refer to the reception of the Holy Spirit through Baptism.

...

When Paul refers to himself, Silvanus and Timothy as having been anointed by God, I take him to be referring to having received the Holy Spirit ... through Baptism. Paul is referring to himself as having been anointed because he has Christ (the anointed one) living in him. And so did Silvanus and Timothy and every other baptized Christian.

I don’t think the anointing in 2 Corinthians 1:21 serves as a metaphor for baptism. Everyone was baptized, as you noted, all of the participants in Paul’s congregations. Paul is claiming a higher status here for himself and his junior partners.


The Sheep, the Shepherds, and that Spirit in the Sky

The thrust of this passage is about Paul working to establish his authority, and that of his junior partners, based on having been given the assignment by God.

Paul is on the defensive here at this point in time, making excuses and trying to make amends --- and trying to establish (or re-establish) his authority among the Corinthians.

12For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you, in the purity and sincerity of God, and not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God. 13For we write no other things to you other than what you read or even understand. And I hope that you will understand to the end, 14as also you have understood us in part, so that we are your boasting, even as you are also ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

15And with this confidence I was planning to come to you previously, so that you might have a second blessing of grace, 16and through you to pass through into Macedonia, and to come to you again from Macedonia, and to be set forward by you to Judea.

17Thus purposing, therefore then, did I use lightness? Or do I purpose what I purpose according to flesh, so that with me there should be “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? 18But God is faithful, that our word to you was not “Yes” and “No.” 19For the Son of God, Jesus XS, having been proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has always been “Yes” in Him. 20For as many as are the promises of God, in Him is the “Yes.” Therefore also in Him, the “Amen” by us is for glory to God.

21Now the One establishing us with you unto XN, and having anointed us, is God, 22the One also having put a seal on us and having given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts. 23But I call God as witness upon my soul, that sparing you, I have not yet come [back] to Corinth. (2 Corinthians 1:12-23)

The focus here is not so much on having been anointed by God, but rather having God-given authority. Paul is setting himself apart from the “you” the many, the baptized --- and claiming a special role assigned by God to minister to the many.

... God “establishing us with you unto XN” ...

With the claim of having been anointed by God, Paul and his junior-partners are characterizing their role as prophets of God. Elisha provides an example of a prophet that was anointed at the direct instructions from the Lord, but he was not anointed with oil, but rather with Elijah’s sheepskin cloak --- Elijah’s mantle came down on Elisha (1 Kings 19, LXX).

In the following passage, also from 2 Corinthians, Paul is making the very same claim as found in 2 Corinthians 1:21 of having been specifically selected and assigned by God for the task of spreading the word, and of bringing the promise of salvation as God’s servants. The “us” in these verses also represents Paul and his junior partners (2 Corinthians 5:12 and 6:11-12).

Now all things are of God, the One having reconciled us to Himself through XU, and having given to us the ministry of reconciliation: how that God was in XW reconciling the world to Himself, not reckoning their trespasses to them, and having put into us the word of reconciliation.

Therefore we are ambassadors for XU, as though God is beseeching through us. We implore on behalf of XU: Be reconciled to God. He made the One not having known sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

And working together, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:

“In the acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” [Isaiah 49:8]

Behold, now is the time of favor; behold, now is the day of salvation. Placing no obstacle in anyone’s way so that our ministry should not be blemished, in everything, rather, we are commending ourselves as God’s servants … (2 Corinthians 5:18 – 6:4).

Paul used the concept of having been “established” by God and “anointed” by God to spread the knowledge of his JC figure in 1 Corinthians 1:21 in the very same context as his claims of God-given authority in this passage.


robert j

[robert j]

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So far, the only clear reference to anointing in Paul’s letters is found in 2 Corinthians 1:21. In that passage, Paul claimed that he and his junior-partners had been “established” by God and “anointed” by God in the context of having been granted God-given authority for his mission to spread the word of his salvific JC figure.


For the question I asked (as found on page one of this thread) about evidence in Paul’s letters that would indicate that Paul’s JC was intended to be an “anointed” figure, a “Christ” ---

So far, no clear evidence.